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Mason Mob
The Mason Mob was a hit squad posse formed by Trancesk8er in Dragonhollow's Fourth Era in order to contain, counteract, and crush Mason. They carried out several operations against the unwanted denizen but had little lasting effect in discouraging his behavior, though his interference in Trance Swamp was halted by repeated assassinations. Eventually, Eris obliterated Mason and the mob disbanded, their goals having been met. =History= ---- Background : Main article: Mason On 4E:133 a young traveler named Mason entered Dragonhollow. He was ill-suited for its harsh environments and dangerously inexperienced in the ways of the world. After being slain several times by man and monster alike, he was invited by Trancesk8er to become a resident of Trance Swamp, a friendly community southwest of Summergate. Taking pity on the hapless boy, Trancesk8er offered him a small plot with which to build himself a home. However, Mason instead chose to build elsewhere in the swamp, ignoring the mayor's wishes. Trancesk8er first tried patience and diplomacy, explaining to Mason he had to move his things. The boy went on to ruin the swamp's natural splendor and cover it with cobblestone eyesores. The following day, Trancesk8er discovered that Mason had planted an impenetrable barrier of trees on all of the paths into Trance Swamp's central town square. When he cut them down, Mason replanted them. The first hostilities began when it appeared Mason was returning to lay down more saplings. Trancesk8er fired a warning shot which sent the boy running and he fired a second arrow that struck him in the back as he fled back to his squatter's plot. However, the incident did not deter Mason from such behaviors. He wandered around Summergate and its surroundings, irritating many of its residents and leaving bad impressions everywhere he visited. He entered the McClellan plantation asking for assistance, refusing to leave when Chris demanded it. Mason later found Tox working on the West Road repairing street signs and picked up two Summergate banners off of the ground, refusing to return them. The last straw came when Mason interfered with an exchange of goods between Trancesk8er and swamp resident Linuc, trying to steal lapis lazuli. The mayor had no choice but to take action to prevent the theft, piercing Mason's unarmored chest with a flaming arrow. The boy immediately tried to leave Dragonhollow, but the magicks of Eris prevented his cowardly escape and he was killed immediately, his soul remanded to Grim. Ultimatum Trancesk8er offered Mason one last chance for lasting peace: hand over his claim deed and leave Trance Swamp forever. Initially, Mason appeared to agree to the terms, but after some confusion it became clear he was either unable or unwilling to do so. Trance Swamp's mayor took this as a refusal and decided it was time to forcibly evict Mason from the premises. The Mob On 4E:136, Trancesk8er sent out a call to all of his allies, fellow citizens, and anyone who felt aggrieved or annoyed by Mason. He announced the formation of the Mason Mob, a posse whose express purpose was to force Mason out of Trance Swamp through a campaign of harassment and assassination. Print, Sprankles, Ferathmai, Chris McClellan, Tox, and Bjay answered his call to arms and joined the hit squad. Together they operated as highwaymen, laying in wait along key roads into Trance Swamp. The membership of Print, Sprankles, and Tox approved especially important because they controlled three of the major roads leading there. Though most of the attacks were carried out personally by Trancesk8er, the rest of the group did see minor combat against Mason. In total, the boy died more than two dozen times at the hands of the mob. His pleas for help and seeming incomprehension fell on deaf ears. Their final collective act was the construction of a trap near his unwanted claim. The rest of the mob herded Mason towards the claim, where he found a chest with a sign promising free diamonds and emeralds. When he opened the trapped chest, a redstone signal detonated the rows of tightly-packed TNT underneath the boardwalk, blowing him apart where he stood. Aftermath Not long thereafter, Mason finally chose to avoid the swamp and wandered from Summergate, reaching Print's residence along the West Road. There he apparently launched an unprovoked attack on Print's wife Turtle, failing to kill her. Trancesk8er and Print responded quickly, peppering him with arrows until he was dead. Moments later, Eris decided it was time to intervene. Declaring Mason a "public nuisance", she tore apart every atom in his body and, having sent him to the underworld, permitted Grim to imprison and feast upon his soul for all eternity. With Mason defeated and destroyed forever, the mob disbanded. Some of the community felt that Eris, Trancesk8er, and the mob were too heavy-handed and harsh in their treatment of Mason, a very young man in way over his head. They pointed out that he'd repeatedly asked people for help and didn't seem to understand many of Trancesk8er's demands. Furthermore, he appeared to break none of Dragonhollow's sacred rules and commandments and therefore they questioned whether he deserved to be destroyed by Eris. Regardless of their concerns, her decision was final and no attempt was ever made to clear his name. =Members= ---- Category:Organizations Category:Military Organizations Category:Trance Swamp